Daughter of the Frost Dragon
by KobuZero
Summary: When a violent storm forces Ashe to take shelter in an ancient forgotten temple, the Frost Archer is shown visions of a mighty frost dragon. When they fade, Ashe opens her eyes to find that she has been taken to an entirely new world where the skies are ruled by the same mighty beasts of her visions and comes to find out that she is the legendary Dragon Born.
1. Dragon Storm

**Chapter 1: **

_**Dragon Storm**_

Ashe stepped out of the Town Hall of Freljord into the blizzard that was coating the mountainous region in over five feet of snow. The storm had been raging for three days now, and was showing no signs of letting up. After adjusting her cloak that was a warmer, thicker version of her trademark cowl and cape, the queen stepped down into the knee deep snow that covered the streets of her city-state.

Even with her affinity for the cold and dealing with winter weather conditions, Ashe still struggled a bit on her walk toward the covered area off to the side of the Town Hall where people tied their horses. When she approached, a young man stepped out from the small hut that sat next to the covered tying post and covered stable.

" Lady Ashe, shall I fetch Tollo for you?"

A simple nod answered him. " Be quick about it please." She said while pulling her cloak closer around her.

Hastily the boy scrambled down a small path that he had carved through the snow. He returned a moment later from the stalls leading a tall and well muscled dappled grey horse who'm he led to his master. Ashe took the reigns from him and swiftly mounted the beast.

" Thank you Patrick." She said with a nod and friendly smile before spurring Tollo into a steady canter.

For her the snow was slightly difficult to get through, but Tollo was bred from a long line of the finest Freljordian Mountain Horses to fly over the snow and rough terrain as if it where clouds. His breed was strong and hardy, yet still lean and beautiful. A perfect mount for a queen in her opinion.

They dashed through the streets that where empty at this time. Since the citizens had opted to stay indoors until the storm finally passed. All of them had been well prepared for the winter months, so the likely hood of anything going terribly wrong was not high.

The guards pushed open the large gate that led out of the western wall of the city-state when they saw Ashe and she waved to them as she rode by and steered Tollo down a steep trail that led to a large clearing. Where a party of four mounted hunters awaited their queen.

" Hail Lady Ashe." An older man said as Ashe hauled back on the reigns to bring Tollo to a halt at the bottom of the trail.

" Hail Travik, are you ready to make our rounds of the hunting grounds?"

" Aye my queen. We leave at your command." Travik said while motioning to the two young men beside him and the middle aged huntress.

Ashe cast a glance around and above her. The storm was beginning to surge and the snow flurried around them in harsh bursts. But she still she nodded to her party and kicked Tollo who sprang into a quick canter down the trail that led away from the clearing down into the thick forest. This hunting area was a dense with trees and boulders, along with rocky hills that spanned for miles until one would come to a large canyon that split the mountain range in half. It served as the dividing line between the tribes, and now they rode through their side of the forest in search of any signs of trespassers.

They followed a narrow trail that wound along a large rock wall. On the other side of them was a thick line of trees that even a small human would have difficulties passing through. The hunters investigated nearly every inch of the trail searching for signs of the other tribes. Thankfully none where found. Freljord could not spare even a pound of the game flesh that roamed the lush mountains at this time of year. Ashe knew that they would need every bit of food that they could gather to continue to survive the harsh winter months.

As they traveled on, the blizzard worsened. Ashe could barely see Tollo's ears through the sheet of snow in front of her and was relying on the horse's senses to carry her through the root, snow and ice covered terrain. Occasionally even as well trained to handle the harsh conditions as he was, he would slip or stumble through the knee deep snow that only got deeper the further they went.

Travik yelled to her from a few paces back, but she could not hear him over the howling wind that buffeted her cloak. So she pressed on, not hearing the warnings of her followers. Her mind raced to find a way to get her faithful subjects back to the safety of their homes. But it was beginning to look like a futile effort as the storm grew ever stronger and now Ashe could not even see her hand before her own face as she brought it up to attempt to shield herself from the icy flakes that froze her skin and clothing.

After a few more paces, Ashe finally brought Tollo to a halt, with Travik and the others close behind her. This time she heard the man's shouts.

" My Lady, we must turn back it is too dangerous."

Ashe turned in her saddle to respond, but as she did so the ground beneath them shook violently and a huge crashing sound could be heard from behind them. The trees began to lurch and crack against each other from the vibrations that rumbled through the earth below. Suddenly the horses reared and whinnied in fright from the chaos and their owners struggled to calm their animals down while tree after tree toppled over around them and one nearly came down on top of the last hunter and his horse who bolted forward down the tiny trail, ignoring it's rider's shouts to stop.

Ashe turned to look in the direction of the sound and could see a rolling wave of white rushing toward them through the gaps in the trees, and it was closing fast.

" Avalanche!" She yelled out to her hunters. "Run! Follow me!"

With this command the Frost Archer kicked Tollo to launch him into a full blown gallop with the others close behind her. Unfortunately, the trail only lead down, and she knew that they could not outrun nature's fury. Even with the help of their well trained steeds who made short work of the trees and thick brush, managing to stay in a fairly orderly line as Ashe led them off the trail.

The landscape began to slope upwards, but not enough to stop the rushing snow that was still closing at a deadly rate behind them. She dared not look behind her, for fear of losing even a second of sight that she might need to steer her horse through the maze of the forest.

Cries and muffled whinnies of horses could be heard in the distance behind her, no doubt the avalanche had already claimed one victim, which meant it was catching up. One by one she knew that mother nature was gobbling up her victims one by one until only Ashe remained.

Suddenly the forest ended and opened up into a flat snow covered area, and before her was a thin iced over land bridge that crossed the canyon. Desperatly Ashe spurred Tollo onward who was galloping s fast as his legs could carry them. The crashing sound of trees being covered up by the snow told Ashe just how close the avalanche was. So she set her sights on the other side of the canyon.

Tollo also seemed to understand that it was either brave the land bridge or die, so he transfered all of his power to his back legs to build up the momentum he would need to make it across. His hooves touched the icy surface of the rocks and nearly lost his footing there, but Ashe held fast to him and flattened herself against him as much as she could to help even out the weight of the two of them as he barreled over the cracking surface. With each stride the bridge began to crumble under their combined weight, and began to give way almost directly under them.

They reached the middle that was supported by one thin platoe and the land before them shattered and fell into the fog below. Ashe quickly adjusted herself as Tollo threw his head up and adjusted his own stride. When he reached the end of the slippery surface he leapt with all the power of his hind legs for the other side.

The archer couldn't close her eyes as she barely glanced down at the river that was miles below them through the light fog that hung over the area. Tollo's rough landing on the other side of the canyon jostled them both roughly as Ashe gripped the horse's mane in attempts to not be thrown from her saddle.

But he easily steadied himself after a moment, and they both breathed heavy ragged breaths and watched behind them as the snow from the avalanche spilled over the cliffs into the depths of the crack in the earth. After a long breather, Ashe dismounted Tollo, and the horse shook out his now sweaty mane that the still falling snow clung to. Ashe gave the horse an affectionate pat on the neck and soft words of praise before walking over to the edge of the cliff. The Freljord Queen knelt down in the frozen snow and took a moment to bow her head in silence with her right hand over her heart as a soft breeze played with her hair and soft snow flakes clung to her clothing. Her mind drifted to solemn thoughts of her companions, they had all been faithful to her, and took pride in their work of caring for their lands to help feed their people. When she finally did make it home, Ashe swore to herself to deliver the news to their families personally, despite the guilt that welled up in her heart now. It was her fault that they died, she should not have pressed on as she did, and now, she was trapped across the enemy lines at the mercy of the deadliest storm that Freljord had seen in over one hundred years.

Small tears fell from Ashe's eyes, but she quickly whipped then away before they froze on her pale cheeks and stood up while she rubbed her shaking arms and legs. She needed to be strong now, and find her way home. A quick shake of her head was all she needed for now to push back the memories of her fallen comrades and she looked from left to right to identify a new route.

With the land bridge now collapsed and not another one in sight, they where trapped on this side of the canyon, and that could mean trouble for Ashe and her people. This side of the canyon was ruled by the Winter's Claw tribe, led by Sejuani the Winter's Wrath, who openly hated Ashe and would likely take the opportunity to kill her if she was caught trespassing on her lands.

So they needed to move quickly. Ashe cast her gaze up to the sky to discern her direction. To the west of her location was the capitol of Freljord, which meant that if memory served her right, there was a trail a trail near by that led north to a more stable land bridge. All sorts of game animals and even humans used said land bridge to cross the canyon safely.

With this plan in mind, she led Tollo away from the cliff and into the dense black wood forest in search of the trail and with any luck, her way home. Thankfully it did not take them long to find the narrow path. When they did, Ashe checked over Tollo's legs for any injuries, upon finding none, she mounted up and guided her horse at a steady trot as the sky began to grow dark.

As they traveled and twilight came the storm began to surge again and it once again became nearly impossible to see past the snow. For what felt like hours they carefully picked their way down the trail at a slow and steady pace. The horse trudged his way through the snow and Ashe's unfamiliarity with the terrain and area was not helping in the least.

After what seemed like hours of riding, the trail began to wind down around a rocky outcropping into a small valley. Here the canopy of interwoven branches sheltered the small clearing that they found themselves in from the snow. The archer and her steed both shook off the layer of snow that coated them before they both took a look around them. The clearing was dark, but somehow it felt peaceful. There was a magic in the air that soothed their souls and calmed their minds. Ashe's eyes where drawn to the wider trail that lead away from the clearing. It was sheltered like the clearing, making it seem almost like a hallway of trees.

Tollo pawed the ground impatiently and tossed his head in the direction of the trail.

" I agree Tollo, we may have better luck this way, but let's be careful." Ashe said in a soft tone while stroking the horse's mane to calm him. She could tell that he was just as stressed about this situation as she was. But with no other way to go than forward, they pressed on.

Slowly they made their way forward, Ashe kept her eyes on her horse's ears as they twitched back and forth and he occasionally turned his head to look at something. The wall the of trees made the archer feel slightly safer and if Tollo was not afraid then she knew that they where ok here.

Eventually the trail led them farther down into another wide valley that opened up to reveal a large ancient looking stone bridge that across a large crevas in the mountain side. At the end of the bridge sat a a dark building shrouded in shadows centered between two jagged cliff faces. Judging by the decay of the stones and statues that sat upon the ledges it appeared to be an ancient temple that had been long forgotten.

" Well Tollo, maybe we can at least find some shelter there and move on in the morning." Ashe said while she squeezed to urge the horse forward.

The ominous echo of Tollo's hooves on the black stone bridge gave the Frost Archer a small chill down her spine as it reminded her of just how alone and lost they where out here. But hopefully this place would provide them some cover. If it was in fact abandoned as she guessed.

A slight tug on the reigns brought her steed to a halt at the top of the stone steps of what she could now tell was a temple of some kind. Her eyes wandered up to get a full look at the gigantic double doors that where big enough that a small warship would be able to fit through with no trouble. So it was clear that they were not getting in that way, since it appeared as though it would take nearly ten men on each side to open the great golden doors.

Nimbly Ashe hopped down from the saddle and took a moment to let her legs adjust to standing on solid ground again. They where cold and stiff from her hours of riding, at least six judging by where the sun had been when they began their trek, and where the moon now sat in the sky.

Curiously she ran a gloved hand along the the door and traced her fore finger over some of the odd runic lettering on the door. It was a foreign language to her, and more than likely forgotten if it was as old as she thought it was. Ashe followed the door to it's hinges and wandered around to the side of the temple where she found a human sized door. After inspecting it a bit, she found that the door was frozen shut by a thin layer of ice.

She pressed the palm of her hand to the ice, and called upon her gifted frost abilities that hardly anyone knew much about other than her. The ice beneath her hand began to melt as she focused her magic into pulling the cold out of the ice, causing it to warm and dissolve away into liquid form and drip away from the door. But as soon as it touched the snow at her feet, it froze again into a solid sheet of ice.

Now she took ahold of the door handle, which was just as intricately carved and decorated as the main ones. It took a few hefty tugs to finally pull the wooden door open. When she did so, dust flew every where and the scent of old books, moss and rotted wood filled her nose. But she ignored this and peeked inside the place as Tollo approached behind her and nudged her with his head and attempted to look over his master's shoulder curiously.

Inside the temple was dark, save for a faint ethereal light that illuminated a large statue that sat in the center of a large shrine. Before the statue sat rows of wooden benches, and above the statue was a glass dome that she supposed would let in pleanty of sunlight if it where day time and not covered in snow. However the place looked to be completely forsaken as she had hoped it would be.

Ashe crept inside and helped Tollo squeeze his way through the door. Once inside she closed the door behind them to preserve what little warmth the temple provided, which did not feel like much. But thankfully Ashe was not as affected by it like most humans due to her frost affinity and being raised in her mountain home land.

Cautiously they made their way closer to the statue and could now see that the light was not only other worldly, but was generated by a pair of sapphire gems that made up the eyes of the golden dragon statue that stared back at them.

A soft breath fell from the Frost Archer's lips as she gazed up into the dragon's eyes. When she did her head began to swim and no matter how much she tried, she could not look away. She just stood, locked in a staring contest with the statue.

Vivid memories began to flash through her mind. They where of her tribal battle, where she was leading a squadron of elite archers, her closest companions, when they found themselves caught in a wintery nightmare at the end of a week-long standoff with a warring tribe.

Ashe had gone unconscious sometime during the battle and when she awoke, she found herself surrounded by the mangled corpses of friends and foe alike. The scholars and mages had told her that it was divine providence that had spared her from the whirling shards of ice, and it had turned her hair the color of the arctic tundra. It was after that day, that Ashe had vowed to never again wear the traditional Freljord White Garments of Victory.

But here, new visions invaded her mind. Images of a mighty golden dragon with the same bone chilling sapphire eyes as the one she stood before now. The dragon became a blurry haze in her mind as it beat it's massive wings and spoke to her as she lay on the snow bank that day frozen and waiting for death. She vaguely remembered it now, and the words that the dragon had spoken to her now whispered in her mind and began to chant and grow louder with each repetition.

The language was foreign to her at the time, but for some reason, she understood them perfectly now.

_Kula'as Fron, Fo Dovah._

The chanting grew louder, both in her mind and around her until it drowned out every thought and even the frightened whinnies of her horse. A magical whirlwind swelled up around Ashe's feet and grew along with the noise of the melodically chanting words, until the menacing icy eyes of the dragon sparkled and blinded her with a brilliant white light that forced the woman to close her eyes.

Instinctively she reached for Tollo's reigns to steady herself as the strange wind howled around her violently and the chanting came to an abrupt halt. Everything around them became deadly silent. Save for one word.

_Dovahkiin._

The smokey image of the dragon faded from her mind and when it did so, the Frost Archer opened her eyes, and was greeted by the sight of an expansive open field of wheat colored grass, and the chaotic scene of soldiers running to and fro before her around a tall, lone watch tower.

Ashe looked around frantically, attempting to make sense of it all, but she was given no time to do so as an enormous dragon swooped down before her eyes and breathed a stream a fire down on the soldiers who fired volleys of arrows at the beast.

Tollo reared in fright, and Ashe gave him to command to run to safety if he could. He did so after Ashe released her hold on his reigns and galloped away from the fight.

Without hesitation Ashe drew her bow and notched an arrow. Keeping it trained on the dragon that now circled the watch tower. When it emerged from the side of the tower, Ashe released her arrow and it struck true into the neck of the flying the monster ignored the measly little projectile and continued with it's attack. With a single beat of it's wings it flew up into the air and then swooped down over the field of soldiers, breathing a stream of flames that set the ground on fire. The smell of burning flesh and grass filled the air as smoke billowed up from the bodies of the screaming soldiers who fell to the ground in agony.

The Frost Archer pulled another arrow from her quiver and this time called upon her frost abilities and focused all of her energy into her single arrow as the dragon began to circle the battlefield once more.

This time, it swooped down low from above the tower with it's belly exposed to her. Ashe let her arrow fly and it grew in size until it was encased in a shell of shimmering frost and slammed into the soft underbelly of the dragon. It lurched in the air but kept it's flight while the frost began to creep over it's scales and freeze it's body solid. This apparently got it's attention since it paused in mid flight and cast it's fearsome gaze down on the archer. It flapped it's wings violently in efforts to stay in the air as it roared loudly in challenge to the archer and raised it's head preparing to breath a rain of fire down on her.

Quickly Ashe readied her arrow. Remembering a practiced tactic that she used frequently against the dragon that dwelled on the battle ground of Summoner's Rift. As the dragon opened it's tooth filled maw to breath it's fire, Ashe let her arrow fly and the dragon lurched violently and crashed to the ground when it was suddenly chocked by the projectile being lodged into it's throat.

With the beast now downed and distracted, the soldiers rushed in and proceeded to beat on the creature with a wide array of weapons. Knowing that the fight was not over, Ashe did a quick scan of her surroundings and spied a large pile of rocks near to her. Nimbly she climbed the rocks and found that it was a perfect vantage point. Waisting no time, the master archer pulled five arrows from her quiver and fired off one of her famed volleys that had successfully taken down soldiers and beasts alike.

Each arrow struck into the dragon's hide, penetrating it's armored back easily. It roared and squirmed on the ground. Flapping it's wings violently and snapping at the soldier's around it. Even batting one of them halfway across the field with it's tail. Another volley ensured the dragon's death. But in it's final moments, it locked it's emerald eyes with those of the Frost Archer and opened it's mouth to breath it's final stream of fire in her direction.

Expecting this from the creature Ashe simply spun on her heel and jumped down from the top of the rocks and rolled to break her fall at the bottom. The fire blasted the rocks and licked around the sides of it, leaving blackened scorch marks where the archer had stood. It set the grass ablaze, but Ashe luckily remained unscathed by the attack.

Sounds of pain filled the air along with an earth rattling thud from the dragon toppling over. Knowing it was safe now the lost archer stepped out from behind the rocks and jogged over to the carcass. When she reached it, the scales and flesh began to melt away in molten flames, leaving behind a bare skeleton of what once was a mighty and powerful beast.

As it deteriorated, a magical feeling washed over Ashe as the wind and very air around her began to distort and glow as tiny infinitesimal threads wrapped themselves around her. Her skin tingled and she felt warm and somehow at peace while the magic blended with her very soul. In her mind, the same haunting voice as the one in the temple whispered : _Fus_

Just as quickly as it had all happened, the magic faded away and left the Frost Archer standing amongst a crowd of soldiers who all wore expressions of awe on their faces. An older looking woman wearing grand armor with long braided blonde hair stepped up to her cautiously.

" You." She said in a commanding tone. " Who are you?"

Ashe stood up straight, her body and still shaking slightly from the enormous amount of shock her mind and body where both in at the moment. Her voice reflected her utter confusion of the whole thing, but she did her best to sound regal and knowing as if she where addressing her people.

" My name is Ashe the Frost Archer. I come from a land called Freljord and I am far from home. I was somehow brought here from my lands through some strange magic." She explained, and the woman's eyebrows raised at the explanation. Cautiously she stepped forward and eyed the archer who was made nervous by the sudden scruteny.

" I do not necessarily care where you are from, though Freljord is no place in Skyrim or Tamriel that I have ever heard of. What matters to me is that you slayed that dragon and it appears that you absorbed it's soul. Which means that you must be one of the legendary Dragon born."

_Skyrim? Tamriel?_ Ashe questioned in her mind, but there was a more pressing question that fell from her lips.

" Dragon born?" Ashe repeated the word with a raised eyebrow as she looked herself over, as if attempting to find any identifying marks of such things.

" It means you where born with the soul of a dragon, and dragon blood runs in your veins." The woman continued.

" What does it mean?" The archer was growing a bit impatient already, she just wanted to know where she was and how she'd gotten here. But still this idea intrigued the Frost Archer.

" It means that you are gifted with the blood of a dragon, and possibly the magical abilities of one. As well as the only one who can kill dragons. This one attacked a town to the north of here and we probably wouldn't have survived it's attack if it where not for you." The woman explained in an understanding voice, but Ashe felt as though she was hiding something. " It is said, that Dragon Born can use the way of the voice. Speak the language of dragons. Why don't you try it."

Ashe looked skeptical of this idea and thought about what the woman meant. Perhaps it had something to do with the visions she had in the temple, and the word that she had heard when she absorbed the dragon's magic.

The archer closed her eyes and focused on the word in her mind. _Fus. _

She repeated it several times to herself before opening her eyes and speaking the word aloud. When the first letter touched her tongue, she was overwhelmed by the instinct to shout the word, and so she did. " _FUS!_"

Suddenly the air around her shifted and the soldier who stood in front of her was knocked backwards by a sudden gust of wind.

" You did it! You used the voice!" The armored woman said with raised eyebrows and wide eyes.

" What is this voice?" Ashe asked as she stared at her hands, not looking for anything in particular on them, but she was even more confused now than ever. Suddenly everything had been turned upside down. This morning she had been listening to the needs of her people, and a simple scouting mission had gone awry. Now...here she was...in this strange new place, fighting a dragon, and now people where call her dragon born...what could it all mean?

The soldier woman interrupted her thoughts, and Ashe only stared at her blankly, her mind hardly capable processing anything more.

" My name is Delphine, I am a member of the Blades. I can help you with all of this. But first I must ask you to go and speak to the Jarl of Whiterun. He must know what transpired here."

"What? What is so important about this that you cant just tell me what in the hell is going on here?"

The woman moved closer to Ashe with a deadly serious look in her eye that the archer returned with a dark glare, showing her irritation at this whole blasted thing.

" It is not wise to speak of such things here, once you have spoken to the Jarl, please come and meet me in Riverwood, it is safe to talk there and I can try and explain things better to help you." Delphine said quietly so that the soldiers bustling about could not overhear them.

Ashe opened her mouth to speak, but then simply nodded to the woman. Satisfied with this,Delphine turned away and began to walk down the large hill to look over her wounded soldiers after speaking one final thing over her shoulder. " I will see you in Riverwood, until then, watch the skies traveler."

Ashe nodded and watched the woman wander away before looking away and down at her hands where she still held her legendary frost bow, and her mind wandered for a few moments. Considering her options, she could either attempt to find a way home herself, or she could go along with this woman's orders. All this talk of being a dragon born and her new found abilities, on top of the visions she saw when she was in the abandoned temple had her intrigued. But she had a duty to her people. As queen it was her job to make sure that they survived the winter months. It was a tough choice, and neither of them was an obvious choice.

What if this new found power could aid her in leading her people. Certainly if she could find out more about it, and learned to control it, she might have a way to protect her subjects in a time a need or war. But she knew that the only way to find out would be to fulfill Delphine's orders and pursue this information. Ashe looked up and away from her bow as she thought taking in the sights and smells of her surroundings. As far as she could see was a field covered in the brown colored grass, but off in the far distance all around her Ashe could see mountain ranges surrounding this entire valley-like area. It appeared to be winter time here with the slight patches of snow and the chilly wind that swept over her every so often. She was not entirely sure how long she stood there, staring across the wide rocky plains, but the sun had moved quite a bit in that time. Thankfully none of the soldiers bothered her, they just went about her business, but some of them did give her a quizzical look.

Finally her mind was made up. With no clear way home, and new found abilities that could greatly aid her people in the future years of her reign over Freljord, she decided to investigate and persue this power that had been granted to her. Perhaps also along the way, someone or something would show her the way back home.

Raising two fingers to her lips, Ashe blew out a high pitched whistle, and only a moment later the rythmic sound of cantering horse hooves could be heard as Tollo made his way to her from around the side of the crumbling watch tower.

The horse trotted up to her, making a series of whinnies and snorts as he excitedly swished his tail back and forth. Communicating that he was indeed perfectly unharmed from the ordeal, and this made his owner smile at the relief that her trusted companion had made it through. If there was one thing that made her happy now, it was the thought that despite being lost, she was not alone in this strange world.

Ashe quickly set her foot in the stirrup of Tollo's saddle and pulled herself up onto the tall stallion's back. After gathering the reigns she took a quick glance around her and finally spotted a walled city only about two miles away from them. She guessed that the city was Whiterun, and if it wasn't perhaps there was someone there who could tell her how to find it.

Wasting no time, Ashe spurred Tollo forward and the two of them made the short trek across the rough terrain toward the city that would change her life forever...

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**_Author's Notes:_**

**_Thank you to all who read this, please be sure to leave me a review and tell me what you thought. There is definatly more to come. :)_**

**_I do not own TES: Skyrim or League of Legends. I do try my best to stay true to the lore and cannon of both games, if I do change something, be sure to read my notes as to why._**


	2. Touch The Sky

**_Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. This chapter is dedicated to my friend who goes by Gian. She has been a great inspiration to me throughout writing this chapter, and deserves credit for allowing me to share my ideas with her and for reading my oh so wonderful rough drafts._**

**_So without further ado, enjoy the chapter everyone :)_**

* * *

**Touch**** The Sky**

Ashe along with her horse Tollo trotted their way up the cobbled road that led to what the archer believed was the city of Whiterun. A freezing wind-swept over the land around them as they traveled and Ashe hoped that if this was not the correct city, at least it might have a warm place for her and Tollo to rest. They had spent hours out in the cold even before being brought to this wintery world and it was taking its toll on their bodies.

Even with her warm winter gloves, Ashe's hands slowly grew numb until she could barely even feel the material on her skin. Her exposed flesh was beginning to burn when the wind suddenly randomly picked up around her and breathing was also becoming difficult as her lungs stung from inhaling the icy air.

Ashe breathed a heavy sigh of relief when they finally arrived to the steps that led up to the city's gates. Tollo spiritedly kicked up his heels and cantered them up the path, disregarding the snow coated steps and making short work of the icy cobble stones beneath his hooves. He was happy to finally rest as well, but both his rider's and his own expectations where crushed instantaneously when two guards stepped in front of them.

" Hey! What do you think you're doing?" One of them barked rudely.

Tollo skidded to a halt at Ashe's command to avoid running the man over.

" I need to go inside the city." Ashe said in as civil a tone as she could manage to hide her sudden annoyance.

" You may, but the horses are not allowed within the city walls." The guard said with narrowed eyes.

Ashe glared back at the guard. " I will not leave my horse out here so he can be eaten by wolves."

" Well it can't go inside the walls. You can try your luck with leaving it at the stables." The man thrust his finger in the direction of the stables. Ashe looked to see a stream of smoke from a chimney just over the wall. She cast one more disapproving glare at the guard before turning Tollo away who snorted and flicked his tail in the guard's face as he turned and trotted smoothly back down the winding path.

When they approached the stables, a strong and tall man stood up from a stool where he was tending to a tool of some sort. He walked to the fence and held up his hand in greeting as Ashe brought Tollo to a halt at the gate.

" Hello there m'lady, what brings you to the Whiterun stables in such a hurry?" The man asked in a gruff voice as he looked Tollo and Ashe over with a raised eyebrow.

" I was told by the guards that horses where not allowed in the city. Do you think I could stable him here for the night?" Ashe explained in a polite tone as she dismounted from the saddle. Her stiff legs stung from landing on the ground and she had to grip on to Tollo's saddle for a moment to steady herself, trusting that the man wouldn't notice.

" Hmm." The man twiddled his long dark beard in thought. " Well I do have a spare stall, but it will cost you, horses eat you know." The man said with his hands on his hips still eyeing Tollo who snorted at him and stamped his hoof impatiently.

Ashe opened her mouth slightly to answer, but quickly closed it and looked down at the ground in defeat as the thought occurred to her that she did not have any coin to pay the man. An awkward moment passed until Ashe finally looked to the man again. " I'm afraid I have no way of paying you. But thank you anyway." Ashe said this in a hushed voice as she turned to lead Tollo away who looked back over her shoulder at the warm and inviting stable. At least now she knew that this was the correct place.

A long sigh could be heard from behind them and the man called out to her. " Wait."

Ashe and Tollo both stopped and looked hopefully at him.

With one hand behind his head and an understanding smile on his features. " I suppose I can stable him for one night, and he can share a bit of Abby's hay, but any time after that I will expect payment ya hear?"

Ashe nodded great-fully and thanked the man at least a dozen times as he opened the gate for her to lead Tollo into the stable. Once she un-saddled him and made sure that he was comfortable, which she could tell that he was by the way he tossed his head and swished his tail happily, Ashe exited the stable after thanking the man yet again. When she reached the gate, she turned and gazed over her shoulder at her prized steed munching away on a large pile of hay and smiled to herself, knowing that at least he would be safe here.

It took Ashe only a few minutes to walk back up to the city gates where the guards let her in without a word. With the sun beginning to set the archer strolled into the city that was built on a series of hills that appeared to lead to different sections of the city. A few citizens passed by her as she stood in the street and gazed up at the large keep that sat upon the tallest hill. Some of them gave her odd looks and others greeted her with friendly smiles and waves. But she mostly ignored them as she made her way through the city's crowded roads. Children ran about her, happily chattering and laughing, and she caught the occasional conversation. One in particular rang in her ears but she kept her eyes forward.

" You know whats wrong with Skyrim these days?" A grizzly looking man said to another. " Everyone's obsessed with death."

Ashe eyed them as she passed by from under her cowl that she pulled down further to mask her features and tucked her snow-white hair inside it. The streets led her to a circular area lined with houses and shops, and from there was a set of finely crafted steps that guided her up to the next section of the city that was separated by a wall and a large stone arch-way where the words 'The Wind District' where carved at the top. Here was another rounded area, separated by a water way and surrounded by a fence that supported beautifully carved wooden arch ways. Several benches sat around a large, ancient looking tree that shaded the area. Two sets of steps led up and away from here. One led to a long house that armored men and women came and went from. For some reason it held Ashe's gaze as she passed it, she could smell a forge and something akin to the scent of dogs coming from the area and the people who wandered up and down the steps.

But she again forced herself to stay on task and made her way up a large winding staircase that took her to the large intricately carved double doors of the keep that watched over the city of Whiterun. From here Ashe got a panoramic view of the field below that stretched for miles on either side of the city until it became a blur hidden behind thick clouds that hung around sharp and jagged mountain ranges.

A guard approached Ashe who had been staring out at the sunset that bathed the land in a red glow. " Welcome to Dragonreach my lady. What business do you have here?"

Ashe shook off her lingering thoughts and turned to face the man. " I was instructed by a woman named Delphine to speak with the Jarl."

The guard nodded and motioned to the double doors. " Then please go inside and speak to him."

Ashe nodded and turned away from the railing of the wooden bridge that she stood on that led to the doors of the keep. She pushed open the doors and was instantly happy as the warm air from the giant hearth warmed her frozen skin. Hastily she made her way through the main corridor and into a large hall lined with banquet tables, and at the end of the room sitting upon a raised platform was a strong man wearing fancy robes and a crown upon his head. Ashe guessed this was the Jarl.

The man raised his blonde eyebrow and spoke in a deep powerful voice when Ashe approached his throne. " Welcome to Dragon's Reach citizen, what brings you to my keep this night?"

" Are you the Jarl of this city?" Ashe asked as she stood as close to the fire as possible to absorb as much of its heat as possible.

" Aye, I am Jarl Balgruuf."

Ashe pulled down her cowl so that she could move the strands of her snow-white tresses from her face to look the man in the eye. " I was sent by a woman named Delphine to tell you that the dragon that assaulted your city has been vanquished."

The man played with his finely trimmed beard as he eyed the archer with a curious expression. " This is wonderous news. Was it you who slayed the beast?"

Ashe nodded but did not say anything more, she was too busy hiding her hands behind her back to warm them near the fire. Being careful not to let the man see her flexing her hands to bring feeling back to them for fear that he may think she was either untruthful, or that she was an assassin fiddling with a dagger.

The man nodded after a moment of contemplation. " Then I thank you for your great deed young woman. What is your name?"

" My name is Ashe the Frost Archer, Queen of the Land of Freljord."

The Jarl raised an eyebrow at the long title. " That's quite a mouthful there Ashe. Though I do not recall any such place in Skyrim by that name."

Before Ashe could explain, a woman with dark almost blue looking skin with menacing red eyes interrupted in a harsh voice. " There is no such place in all the world of Tamriel. Perhaps you are simply a heretic."

Ashe resisted the urge to glare at the woman but managed to hold her stoic gaze on the Jarl who glanced between the two women. An older man who stood beside the Balgruuf spoke next.

" I doubt she is a heretic, there are many small areas in our wide world of Nirn, perhaps it is just a small province that holds no significance."

Again the Freljordian Queen had to bite her tongue.

With an intrigued expression and a hand stroking his blonde beard the Jarl stared at Ashe as though he was considering his options here. After a long while of silence he seemed to come to a conclusion and leaned forward, looking Ashe directly in the eye as he spoke.

" I do not believe that you are any sort of heretic. However this dragon attack is a pressing matter. Delphine, the woman who sent you here, did she tell you anything else?" The Jarl seemed suspicious of both Ashe's intentions and this Delphine woman.

" Only that I was something called a Dragonborn. She requested that I meet her in a place called Riverwood." Ashe said in a calm voice that betrayed her hopeful feelings that these people might have answers to her questions about being a Dragonborn and what it was all about.

The Jarl nodded. " There are legends of the Dragonborn. They say that they are the only ones who can kill dragons, and harness the true power of the Way of the Voice. But I have never met one, can you somehow prove that you are one of them? Show us the power of the dragon's language."

Ashe gritted her teeth behind her closed lips, she was growing tired of all of this 'dragon born' nonsense but she decided to go along with it, since it could lead to answers. After quick glance around the room she spotted an unoccupied area of the hall and turned toward it. Focusing on the power of the word in her mind that she had used before she shouted the word. "_Fus_."

Just as before, the air around her bended and a sudden force knocked a golden plate off of the dining table that landed across the room with a resounding thud.

A gasp was heard from behind her and Ashe turned to see a man in dark robes staring at her in disbelief. " You are indeed the legendary Dragon Born." He said, his voice filled with awe.

Suddenly a booming shout could be heard from outside the keep that echoed like a thunder-clap over the land of Skyrim.

" Well that settles it then." The Jarl said as his eyes watched out one of the windows of the keep. " That was the cry of one of the Grey Beards atop a mountain known as the 'Throat of the World'. They are summoning you, the Dragon Born to High Hrothgar." He regarded Ashe again with a deadly serious look in his eyes. " They are well versed in the way of the voice, and can most likely teach you more about it. That is, if you are willing to learn from them."

Ashe simply nodded at this as the Jarl continued. " Again, I thank you Ashe. You have done a great deed for my people, that will not be forgotten. I wish you luck on your travels and whatever path you choose to take. However I would advise you speak with Delphine in Riverwood, the town lies at the base of the Throat of the World."

Ashe nodded and bowed to the man slightly. This was enough information for her to start with. From here she could find her way to this mountain, and hopefully more answers.

" Thank you Jarl Balgruuf, I appreciate all the information you have given me." With this the Frost Archer turned and regretfully departed the warm keep.

Once outside, Ashe immediately regretted having to leave the warmth of Dragon's Reach. Slowly the archer descended the cold steps into the city that was now dark and bathed in the pale light from the double moons that shined down on the streets.

It was quiet save for the occasional howling of the wind that flowed through the streets. Clouds where beginning to form over the city and they quickly blotted out the moon's light, and with them came a light snow that began to cover the streets in a sheet of fresh sparkling frost.

Ashe stood under the magnificent tree that sat at the base of Dragon Reach's steps, watching the snow fall as it coated the ground around her. Letting her mind wander, it drifted to thoughts about her home land, her people. How where they faring now? Obviously they would notice her missing and probably send out a search party. What worried Ashe even more about this was the idea of them pronouncing her dead and allowing Sejuani to take over as ruler of Freljord. What would she do then? Return and demand her title back? That would never happen and she knew it, but there was nothing she could do from here.

Frustrated now, Ashe balled her hands into fists as she cursed under her breath at herself for leading Travik and the others to their deaths. Trying to shake off those thoughts only led to the pressing ones about her predicament now. Lost in a strange world, with only the name of a city and a mountain, and some strange word of power that she could shout. All of this made now sense. Why was she brought here? To fight dragons? It was absurd.

Anger began to boil under the normally cool and calculated frost queen's skin until she simply could not hold it in any longer. With a loud growl she spun and slammed her fist into the side of the tree as hard as she could. Pain shot through her arm and up to her shoulder as the branches above her shook snow from it's branches down on top of her, but she didn't even feel it. All she could do was stare down at the snow covered ground with her fist against the tree and forcing herself to breathe deep and calm her thoughts ran rampant now in every direction until she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs and wake up from this nightmare.

But she held it in, struggling with herself to stay calm as fear, anger, grief and guilt all began to set in her mind and heart. These emotions threatened to tear her apart and she could feel warm tears starting to flood her eyes. As the first one trickled down her cheek she immediately wiped it away.

Ashe pulled her now sore hand away from the tree and rubbed it a bit. Her knuckles stung from the frost that coated the tree and now her hand and it chilled her fingers though she could barely feel it. The tears she shed froze on her cheeks, but she ignored them as her mind tried to make sense of the previous twenty-four hours.

With her mind distracted, the archer didn't notice that she had started unintentionally wandering the streets. Although her eyes where down cast, she wasn't seeing anything past her own thoughts. Images of Travik and her hunters, friends and family relentlessly drifted through her mind. Along with the faint, hazy flashbacks of the forgotten temple, and the cold sapphire eyes of the dragon that faded into the fierce battle with the living dragon at the watch tower.

All of these thoughts where brought to a crashing halt when the ground all of a sudden felt like it vanished from below her feet. She blinked away her thoughts just in time to look down at the steps and ground that where rushing at her before she hit the ground and heard a resounding crack. After coughing to try and breathe the air back into her lungs that had been knocked out of her by the fall, the archer attempted to move but when she did her entire body screamed in agony. So there she remained, helpless in the streets of a unfamiliar city, in a strange world, as her mind and vision faded into darkness.

A throbbing pain in her left arm roused the archer from her dreamless sleep. With a groan she opened her eyes to find that she lay in a soft bed with a warm fire crackling off to the side of the room. At first, she was frightened, and quickly tried to sit up but the stabbing pain in her head, back and shoulder made her reconsider.

Trying to move her arm was also difficult, and she looked down to see that it had been splinted and wrapped in a soft sling. With no ability to move, Ashe slowly turned her head to look around the strange room. Wondering exactly how she had gotten here.

The room was well decorated with deer heads on the walls, and various tapestries depicting either codes of arms or what appeared to be abstract designs. On the wall above her hung a fine iron shield with two swords mounted behind it. But the most interesting thing in the room, was the woman who sat slumped in a chair next to the bed.

Ashe took a moment to look over the sleeping woman, The fire's soft glow elegantly illuminated the dark crimson hair that flowed down to the woman's shoulders that were adorned by silver shoulder pads. These attached to form-fitting leather armor that was held closed by three silver clasps that appeared to be almost tribal in their design. A chain mail and leather skirt led Ashe's eyes to the woman's finely toned legs and to the short sword that hung from her sword belt. What intrigued Ashe the most about this woman however, was the dark war paint across her beautifully angled, yet still soft and feminine features that resembled claw marks.

A slight smile played on Ashe's lips as she watched the slumbering woman shift in her sleep and mutter something. The archer admired the woman's fit and toned body that still looked as though it would be soft to the touch. Ashe wondered what her eyes looked like and if this person was the one responsible for bringing her here.

Heavy footsteps echoed through the hallway just outside of the room and pulled Ashe's thoughts away from the woman beside her.

" Aela, I brought the food that you requested." A man said as he walked through the door carrying a plate of food.

The woman in question, opened her eyes and jolted upright in her seat, looking around as if she had seen a ghost for a moment before her gaze settled on the tall and dark-haired man in armor.

" Oh...thank you Farkas, I must have fallen asleep."

" Thats alright Aela. However, I think your friend here is awake." He said with a friendly smile as he walked over and set the plate of food on the table next to Ashe. " How are you feeling miss...uh..."

" Ashe." She filled in her name for him. " And I'm fine thank you, aside from a slight headache, but I think I'll live." She said this as she forced herself to sit up despite the excruciating pain that shot through her body as she did so.

" Good. Aela here carried you here to Jorvaaskr. Said she found you outside."

Ashe looked to Aela who was smiling at her with a look in her eyes that the archer could not quite understand at the moment before the woman spoke. Her voice was deep for a female, but still feminine and kind.

" I found you laying at the base of the Wind District steps. You where out cold so I brought you here." Aela said this as she stood up from the chair. " Be careful with that left arm of yours by the way, it's broken in three places."

After thanking Farkas who exited the room after giving Ashe a gentle pat on the shoulder, Aela closed the door and then crossed the room to sit on the bed. "Here, you should eat something, I bet you're starved." Her tone was gentle and caring as she picked up the plate of food and held it in her lap.

Ashe eyed the contents of the plate and glanced at the red-head with a slight blush on her cheeks as her stomach growled loudly. Great-fully she accepted the food and took a piece of bread and began politely nibbling on it.

" So what happened to you?" Aela asked as she set the plate back on the table.

" It's a long story." Ashe replied as she distantly stared at her food as all the memories from the past day or so filled her mind again.

" I'd be willing to hear it." A gentle and warm smile appeared on the woman's lips.

A sigh fell from the archer's lips before she took a deep breath and stilled her mind and attempted to straighten out her thoughts. When she felt like she could sort through them, she began explaining everything. From the storm in Freljord, to how she had come across the abandoned temple. She recalled her visions of the war, and of the dragon that had blessed her with her Frost abilities and saved her life. Then she explained the entire event of being transported to this land by the powerful magic of the dragon statue. From there, Ashe continued and told Aela of her battle with the dragon, and her orders to meet Delphine in Riverwood. Her tale was finished by telling her host about what the Jarl of Whiterun had said, and that she had been advised to meet with the Grey-Beards in High Hrothgar to learn more about this... 'Way of the Voice'.

Aela sat quietly for a moment with a thoughtful expression, mulling over the archer's words. " That's quite a story there Ashe. I couldn't imagine being just...swept away from my home and family like that. I don't know what I would do."

Ashe nodded quietly as Aela paused for a moment but then continued.

"Though I've certainly never heard of any place in Tamriel called Freljord. But I do know that there is all sorts of magic in the world, so it is not too far fetched to say that something, or someone brought you here for a reason. And if what they say is true, and you really are the legendary dragon born, then perhaps that is the answer. I have a feeling that if you complete whatever task you were brought here to carry out, there would be a way to get you home. If not, then perhaps there is a mage in the university that could help you."

Ashe considered the woman's words. She knew that she had to do something, wandering around aimlessly was not going to help her now. But what should she do? Should she go and meet with Delphine? Or these...Grey-Beards? With her mind suddenly more clear and back to being focused, she weighed her options, until she finally reached a decision.

With a new found confidence in her sapphire eyes, Ashe spoke in a soft voice.

" I think that I should at least go and speak to Delphine, she may have at least some answers about what is going on. If I have even the slightest hope of returning to Freljord, I think following this trail may be the only way to find a way to return to my people." Ashe said this in a thoughtful voice as her eyes drifted to the crackling fire.

" Well, it looks like you have your answer then." Aela replied with a smile and nod. " If you would like, I could accompany you on your journey. I know the land very well, and with that arm of yours, you wouldn't stand a chance now if you where to be attacked by a pack of wolves, or worse."

For a moment, Ashe simply stared at the woman in disbelief. When she came here, she hadn't expected to meet anyone who would truly be willing to help her. Delphine seemed as though she wanted to help, but they hadn't met long enough for the archer to make any sort of judgment about the warrior. But now, here she sat, in a warm bed, cared for and watched over by this woman who now offered to escort her across this harsh land. Ashe wondered for a moment if it was fate, or luck that she had fallen down those steps. Whatever it was, she was certainly thankful for it.

Finally she nodded to Aela and answered her offer. " Thank you, I don't know how I could ever repay you for your kindness. But rest assured I will when this is all over."

The red-head laughed softly at this. " Do not worry about payment. You just rest up and we will leave in the morning." As she said this, the warrior stood up from the bed and headed for the door. But Ashe's sudden gasp and hiss from pain stopped Aela in her tracks.

" Whats wrong?" She asked with a concerned look over at the archer who was attempting to stand up from the bed but making no real progress.

" My bow." Was all Ashe could say through gritted teeth as waves of pain shot through every muscle in her body.

Aela rushed over to the archer's side to gentl steadied her.

" Calm down."

" But...I need it, I can't return to Freljord without it."

As Ashe protested, the red-head reached behind the chair she had sat in and retrieved the archer's shimmering sky blue bow and it's quiver. " It's right here, and completely safe." She said while setting it carefully next to the bed. " Now lay back down before you hurt yourself more and get some rest while I go gather some things for our journey alright?"

Aela said this with a stern, almost motherly look in her eyes and her hands on her hips that made Ashe chuckle slightly and nod as she slowly laid back down on the bed.

" Good. I'll see you in the morning." With this, Aela made her way to the door where she cast a quick glance back over her shoulder at the snow haired woman who was already fast asleep. " Sweet dreams pretty one..." She whispered softly before she finally made her way out of the room.

The next morning, Ashe was awakened by the wonderful smell of something sweet. Her eyes opened and she sat up to find her headache and most of the pain from her fall gone. With her mind and body as rested as it could be in this state, she stood up from the bed and allowed herself a nice long stretch, being careful of her arm as she did so.

Afterwards she eyed the room curiously, attempting to identify where the delicious smell was coming from. On the table was a plate with two frosting covered rolls. Ashe began to reach for one, but was stopped by Aela entering the room carrying a large back pack that was slung over her shoulder casually.

" Oh good, your awake. I brought us some breakfast before we head out." She said this in a cheerful tone as she crossed the room and sat in the chair across from where Ashe stood.

With the woman now here, Ashe nervously took the roll and ate it quickly, but still politely. They sat in comfortable silence as they both munched down the delicious pastries.

When Aela finished hers, she waited patiently for Ashe to finish as well before standing up and offering her hand to the archer. " Are you ready? I gathered up a couple of bed rolls and some rations. Riverwood is about a two day's journey from here, if we need more I can hunt us something along the way."

Ashe nodded and took the woman's hand to stand up from the chair. They began to exit the room, but Ashe stopped in the door way. " Wait."

" Yes?" The huntress turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

" Do you have any apples we could bring with us?"

" I'm sure we have some, why?"

Ashe laughed and played with her hair shyly. " They're for my horse, Tollo. He's stabled outside the city."

" Oh, you didn't tell me you had a horse. We will be sure to bring pleanty for him too."

With this Aela led Ashe out of the Jorvaaskr living quarters and up into a large hall where several people in armor sat around a giant roaring hearth. Some of them wandered around and payed no mind to her. But the man named Farkas approached them when they descended the steps that led down into the hall.

" Well, well, look who's finally out of bed. Glad to see your feeling better Ashe."

" Thank you Farkas." Ashe said with a serene smile that made the man blush slightly.

" I heard that Aela is escorting you to Riverwood." He said with a glance at the redhead who shifted impatiently next to her and answered swiftly.

" Yes I am, please be sure to let Kodlak know that I'm leaving."

" You got it. And don't worry about a thing Ashe, you're in good hands with Aela the Huntress. She's one of the Companion's finest."

The archer raised an eyebrow and looked to the huntress. " The Companions?"

To this, the woman smiled proudly. " The Companions is an order of warriors. We are brothers and sisters in honor. And we show up to solve problems if the coin is good enough." The proud smile beneath her war-paint became more playful at her last words.

Ashe blushed slightly at the smile and turned her gaze away quickly, hoping that she hadn't noticed. _What am I doing?_ She asked herself.

Aela looked confused at her when she turned back. It wasn't until then, that Ashe realized that her eyes where a startling silver color, and they enchanted her. Time seemed to slow around the two women as they stood with their eyes locked. Neither of them making a move to look away. There was nothing awkward about it, even the silence between them was comfortable, and Ashe felt like she could gaze into them for eternity and be perfectly happy. But there was something almost feral about them and beyond that, something deeper that the archer simply could not make out.

Farkas cleared his throat and both women's heads snapped to look at him. Both of them where blushing a deep red although no one would be able to tell through Aela's war-paint. _Again? What is going on with me? For gods sakes I'm married_. Ashe mentally kicked herself.

She was currently married to Tryndamere, the Barbarian King. It was a political marriage, and the king had always known about the well-kept secret that the Frost Archer vastly preferred the company of a woman in her bed. But now was certainly not the time for this, nor was Aela the woman.

_Focus._

Ashe shook her head slightly and realized that she had completely lost herself in her thoughts, and when she payed attention again, she found that thankfully no one was staring at her, and the huntress and Farkas had been otherwise engaged in conversation.

" Well, I don't want to keep you two from your journey. Good luck, and may Talos guide you sister." Farkas said as he waved to them and smiled once more at Ashe before turning away.

When he was gone, Aela turned to Ashe. " So then, are we going?"

Ashe simply nodded to the huntress and they exited the hall of Jorvaaskr and made their way through the city of Whiterun. After making one last stop at a general merchant's shop to pick up a small sack of apples, they arrived at the main gates where the guards quietly let them through.

When the reached the stables, a loud whinny could be heard from behind the barn as they neared the fence. Tollo galloped out from behind the stone wall and over the fence, bucking excitedly. Ashe greeted him with an outstretched hand that held a fresh green apple which the horse gobbled up as if it where nothing and then sniffed his owner to attempt to find more.

" I'm sorry boy, I'll give you more later." Ashe said in a gentle voice while giving the horse as affectionate scratch on the nose.

" Hello again m'lady, and good day to you Aela, where are you off to?" The farmer said as he strolled over to the fence.

" Greetings Skulvar. We are on our way to Riverwood. Any thing we should watch out for?" Aela asked him while Ashe set about the task of saddling Tollo.

" Only the usual, wolves, giants and bandits. However there has been talk of some roaming Frost Trolls along that route, so be careful."

A simple nod answered him as Ashe led Tollo through the gate. Aela approached Ashe and rested her hand on the woman's shoulder to get her attention. " Shall I help you up?" She offered.

" No thank you, that won't be necessary." Ashe replied while she adjusted Tollo's reigns and the saddle's girth. Once she had decided that she was satisfied she clicked her tongue softly and whistled twice. On command, Tollo kneeled down low to the ground, with his back legs supporting his weight. This made it easy for Ashe to use her free arm to climb up into the saddle, and with a short whistle Tollo stood back up.

Both Skulvar and Aela stared at the archer and her horse for a moment.

" Neat trick." Aela commented.

Ashe smiled proudly as she ruffled Tollo's mane. " Thank you, we teach all of our horses that in Freljord for times like this."

Skulvar raised an eyebrow at the name Freljord, but otherwise did not say anything about it.

" Well good luck on your journey ladies, I gotta get back to the fields."

" So...which way is it to Riverwood?" The archer asked as Aela led them away from the Whiterun Stables. They walked only a few paces before they came to a fork in the road.

Ashe looked in both directions. One way appeared to lead across a small river and then disappeared behind a large mountain. The other, led toward a jagged and harsh looking mountain range. Before them, beyond the road was mostly flat plains that stretched for miles in either direction.

The huntress glanced up and nodded to the left. " This road will take us through that mountain range. Riverwood lies between it and the 'Throat of the World'. From there we will have to climb the 7,000 steps to reach High Hrothgar where the Grey-Beards live."Although she appeared calm, Aela's voice held a hint of uncertainty.

" Why do they call it the 7,000 steps?"

As she answered, Aela began leading the way down the road. " Because of the stone steps leading up to it of course."

" Right...of course." Ashe winced a bit at her stupid question.

Not knowing what to say to this woman made small talk difficult. For a few miles they traveled in silence, with the only sound other than the wind being the clip-clop of Tollo's hooves on the road until the cobblestones disappeared and the road became only a dirt path.

Ashe took this time to think over her plans. With Aela's help this whole thing would be much easier. But still she wondered what the meaning behind it all was. All of her answers sat at the top of this mountain. Or at least, that's what she hoped.

As the miles wore on, the queen's thoughts drifted away from her pressing problems, deciding that it would not do to over think anything. With the absence of those thoughts, Ashe found her eyes constantly drifting to her escort, who seemed to be also lost in thought.

" Do you think we'll encounter many creatures along the way?" This was the archer's last attempt to break the silence.

Aela remained silent for a moment, but answered as she cast a cautious glance around them. "Hopefully not many. But we are bound to come across some wolves and there are plenty of bandits that think they own all the roads in Skyrim. I pray that the rumors of the wandering Trolls aren't true however."

" Are Trolls particularly difficult to fight?"

" They can be. They're extremely tough and strike with the strength of five men."

" I see." Ashe said with a slight nod as Aela looked up at her with a sly looking smile.

" But don't worry, everyone who is a member of the Companions has fought Trolls and lived to tell the tale." Aela said this with a proud grin.

Ashe smiled at the woman's bragging. It was refreshing to be around someone who was confidant in their fighting ability. This helped the queen feel more and more at ease around the huntress, with the knowledge that she could count on at least someone in this world.

A comfortable and peaceful quiet grew between the traveling partners this time. Only the creaking from Tollo's saddle broke it when Ashe turned to watch Whiterun become a shadowy silhouette on the then sank out of her vision as they crested a large hill and began to descend down the other side.

When the hill flattened out to being flat again, they found themselves in a miniature valley where a wide river separated them from the foothills of the mountain range. This led them between two large hills where they came to a wide river.

As they approached the river, Aela took hold of Tollo's reigns to stop him as her silver eyes fixed on something across the river.

" What's wrong?"

Without answering the Companion crouched low to the ground and drew her bow. Not a single sound was made by the huntress, nor her bow as she plucked an arrow from her quiver and notched it. Only a slight whisper was heard from the weapon as Aela drew it back and trained it on whatever it was that the woman had spotted.

As she raised it to aim, Ashe traced her line of sight to find out what the threat was. Across from them, on the other side of the river was a large cat with long sabre fangs that stalked along the bank. It was obviously unaware of their presence since it's fierce eyes stayed focused on something in the water, most likely a fish or some other aquatic delicacy.

Patiently the huntress waited until the cat made it's way around a thick patch of brush and stopped to sniff something on the ground. Only a slight whooshing sound and the cat's groan of pain was heard before the animal stumbled and flopped over on the ground with and the arrow in it's chest. After a quick glance around Aela replaced her bow on her back and nodded to Ashe that the way was clear.

" Impressive." Ashe commented.

" They don't call me 'The Huntress' for nothing." Aela said with a smile as she led Tollo by his reigns to the river.

" How did you learn to hunt?" Ashe asked in a curious voice as they waded through the shallow parts of the river.

At first Aela stayed quiet, as if she was reluctant to answer the question. But when she did, her eyes drifted to the sky with memory clouded eyes before she answered in a soft, almost solemn voice. " Well you see, my mother was a companion, and her mother as well. I stayed with my father in the woods until I was old enough for my Trial. We hunted everything there was to hunt. Good training."

Aela paused for briefly and breathed a nearly inaudible sigh as her gaze turned from the sky to the ground. " Ma didn't live long enough to see me join." A determined look flickered in her eyes. " But now, I fight to honor her and all my shield-sisters through time."

" So the Companions are like a family. That seems wonderful."

" It is. No matter what, I can always count on my shield-brothers and sisters in a time of need. There is no one in the world that I would trust as my back or with my life more than them."

Ashe simply nodded at this and decided to allow the conversation to die down. They stayed that way for the rest of their travel as the road began to lead them up and over the small mountain range.

By the time they reached the summit, the sun was beginning to set and the sky had turned from the bright blue to a dark mixture of orange and red. To Ashe it looked as if the sharp mountain peaks had been lit ablaze. With this thought, memories of the giant screeching dragon flying through the air and scortching the innocent people below it filled her mind. But she instantly shook them away. It would not do to dwell on the past, it only served to make the future appear unreachable.

The archer was pulled away from her thoughts when her escort stopped again and looked around them. Aela scanned the area around them, looking between the trees and rocks that lined the road for something in particular. At first, Ashe was slightly concerned with the idea that there might be another large cat around, or perhaps something worse. But she relaxed when the huntress made no move for her weapon, and Tollo stood calmly beside her.

One thing Ashe had learned from spending a good majority of her own life in the wilderness was that if your steed is not afraid, then there is nothing to fear. Even more so, Tollo was a brave horse. Ashe recalled a time when she had been scouting in the western woods of Freljord and she had come across a boy who was being attacked by a bear, and when Ashe had Tollo step in between the starved animal and it's meal, he had done so without hesitation and even charged head-first at the lumbering beast to protect the young man.

Finally after a few minutes of being lost in thought,the archer noticed that it seemed like Aela had spied what she was looking for. Gently she took a hold of Tollo's reigns and led him and his rider off the road. A tiny brush covered trail led them to a rather secluded clearing that was only a few paces away from the mountain path.

" We can camp here for the night. If we carry on any further then we are setting ourselves up as supper for the bears and wolves of this area."

" Will we be safe here?" The archer asked as she swung her legs over the saddle and gracefully hoped down from her steed's back.

" Mostly." Aela answered as she set her pack down next to a fallen tree. " This area is pretty well sheltered. But don't worry I'll keep watch."

" I can keep watch too, I don't want to burden you." Ashe protested as the huntress wandered the outskirts of the clearing and began collecting firewood.

Aela quietly reserved any sort of response as she seemed to ignore the archer's protest. This annoyed the archer slightly. Despite her injured arm, she was not some helpless damsel in distress, and she planned on letting this be known.

With a slight huff to show her irritation Ashe stepped in front of the huntress who was currently bent over to pick up a piece of fallen brush. Silver eyes glanced up to meet with the icy ones of the Frost Archer when the black boot cut off her reach for the kindling. Slowly Aela stood up to her full height and set the bundle of sticks next to her. After brushing off her hands they settled on her hips and she regarded Ashe with a raised eyebrow.

Their eyes met and Ashe froze where she stood, every thought and word she had planned to say vanished from her mind. As much as she wanted to prevent it, her cheeks flushed and her mouth hung slightly open as her brain scrambled to form coherent words. But those enchanting silver pools held her in their stare yet again.

" Yes?" Aela asked in a gentle but confused tone.

" I..." Ashe's mind was still short-circuiting, but she finally recovered her composure. " I want to help at least keep watch. I appreciate you escorting me to Riverwood and to the mountain, but I refuse to be treated as though I am a delicate princess."

Aela was taken aback slightly by Ashe's commanding and regal tone. " I did not mean it like that Ashe. But you would not do well on watch by yourself with your arm still bandaged as it is."

A glare began to form on the archer's face, but it disappeared when the red-head placed a hand on her shoulder.

" But if you insist, I will let you stand watch, just do not hesitate to wake me if something wanders into our camp, alright?" Aela said this with an understanding yet amused smile.

Ashe nodded, satisfied with this as she leaned down and scooped up the bundle of firewood under her good arm. While she walked away from the huntress, she barely caught the small chuckle that made her smile, but she was glad she did.

* * *

_**Notes:**_

_**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please be sure leave me a review and let me know your thoughts :)  
**_

_**Yes, I did combine a few of the main quests into one, simply to give this story it's own flavor, and because I did not want to completely stick to the script of the game. Because nothing is more boring than reading a copy and pasted version of the game with different names involved.  
**_

_**Thanks for reading, and please look forward to the next chapter.  
**_


	3. No Fear

**_Author's Notes: Thank you to everyone for your patience in waiting for this chapter. A lot of research and time goes in to writing this story. I seriously spend more time on the League and Skyrim Wiki's than writing half the time. I hope that this chapter was worth the wait and that you all enjoy reading it :)_**

* * *

**No Fear**

Ashe rested quietly in the bed roll that Aela had brought on the journey for her. The huntress was on her turn for the watch, but instead of watching the dark spaces among the circle of trees around them. Aela's eyes kept drifting back to the archer who slept next to her, Ashe was curled up in the bed roll with her good arm beneath her head and her injured arm still in its sling. For a pillow, Ashe had used Tollo's saddle along with his saddle blanket, and tucked under them was her bow and quiver.

But the way she slept was not what kept Aela's attention. Unknown to the archer, it was the way her lips curled into a gentle smile when the huntress reached over to lightly brush her fingers over the enchanting cascade of snow-white hair. How she curled into a ball when the wind around them picked up and forced her to pull the blanket closer.

Aela's attention was pulled away from the sleeping beauty when the distinct cracking sound of twigs sounded through the trees, only a few feet away from their camp. Immediately the huntress was on her feet with her bow in hand. Another crack sounded as the footsteps drew closer. Listening carefully told her that the creature was bipedal, but much too large to be a human. That narrowed it down to two possibilities, and neither of them were pleasant.

With the fire at her back Aela slowly tip toed her way backwards toward the archer, not making a single noise as she did so. Without taking her eyes off the trees, Aela leaned down and gently shook Ashe into consciousness.

"Ashe, get up. But don't make any sudden movements that might make noise." The huntress said in a low whisper.

"Why?"The archer asked, suddenly awake and alert.

As if to answer her question, another series of footsteps echoed around them, now even Tollo was beginning to look worried. The horse was standing right at the edge of the clearing where the steps could be heard. He remained silent but clearly the animal was nervous by the way his ears twitched back and forth nervously, while keeping an eye on the direction that he too had heard the stomps.

Ashe carefully stood up from the bed roll, she reached under the saddle and drew her bow along with a single arrow from its quiver. However, one glance from Aela with her raised eyebrow and ever so slight smirk reminded her that she could not even use it in this state. With an all but silent sigh Ashe set her bow back on the ground next to her, and drew the small dagger that she kept in her boot.

Almost on command a giant white Frost Troll roared and came thundering through the brush, its long arms flailing in front of it as it made a quick decision between the three of them, and went for the weakest target, Ashe. It charged forward, provoking a swift kick to its ribs from Tollo as it moved passed him. This didn't even phase the troll, it kept its fierce eyes on the prey in front of it. Instinctively Ashe side-stepped behind Aela who fired a carefully aimed arrow between its eyes. It merely bounced off the monster as it raised an arm and batted the projectile away.

" Move behind the fire, it won't try to cross it." Aela instructed as she ditched her bow by tossing it aside and drawing her sword all in one swift motion.

Ashe darted to the other side of the fire and just as predicted, the creature stopped and howled at her. This gave the huntress the second that she needed to dash over to its side and drive her sword in between it's ribs. It roared at the annoyance as Aela wrenched the blade from its body that was already beginning to heal. Clearly angered by this the Troll turned its attention on the Companion, which was exactly what she'd hoped for. After dodging the claws that where swiped at her face she shifted back a few feet and began to kite it away from the clearing. Aela took her opportunities to swing at the creature when it lashed out at her; a small side step to the right or left brought her in just close enough to do some damage before she was forced to move away and avoid being clawed.

Tollo was helping as well, he had managed to make his way around to the creature's side and was consistently pummeling it with his hooves. Although the damage was ignored, it still gave Ashe the time she needed to grab one of Aela's arrows. Unlike her magical ones, these were just normal arrows. So she held it in the fire to light the tip of it while she carefully pulled her injured arm out of its sling.

Moving slowly and carefully, the archer picked up the simple bow that no doubt had a lighter draw back than her own weapon. Normally, Ashe would have held her bow in her right hand and drew back with the left. Most people did not know that she was left-handed, but still, this time she was forced to do the opposite since her left arm was in no condition to pull back the string. So, she with a slight wince from the pain of moving her arm around, she managed to draw the bow along with the flaming arrow and take aim.

Aela and Tollo had managed to keep the creature occupied just long enough, and now she waited for her opportunity to present itself. No more than a moment later, it did. Aela guided the Troll so that its side was facing Ashe, through the fire even, with a clear shot at its neck. Without hesitation she released the arrow and dropped the bow, clutching her arm that felt like it was screaming in pain as the arrow struck true into the monster's neck and the flames began to spread across the fur on its body and scorch it's flesh.

Now more concerned with the fire than its prey the monster roared and flailed about, leaving Aela a perfect opening to slash at its belly. The enraged troll made another swipe at Aela, this one connected. It sent her flying across the clearing like a rag doll. But thankfully instead of pursuing her, the creature stormed off through the forest, hopefully, far away from them.

Ashe breathed a relieved sigh at the sight of the monster bounding away and back into the darkness of the woods, and although she didn't notice, Aela did too. The huntress sheathed her weapon and gave Tollo a soft pat on the neck as he walked by her over to his master and nuzzled her shoulder. The archer dropped to her knees with tears of pain lining her cheeks as she held her arm and bit her lip.

"Are you alright?" Aela asked as she moved to her traveling partner's side.

A simple nod was her answer, but the huntress could tell she was obviously lying. Judging by the way the woman was clenching her jaw and holding her arm, she was in immense pain. Gently Aela took the Freljordian Queen by the hand and led her over to her bed roll and helped her sit down on it. After kneeling down next to her, the huntress unwrapped the bandages from Ashe's arm. The skin of her arm was still completely bruised and tender to the touch, Ashe winced slightly when her escort only pressed a finger to her skin.

The bow Aela used didn't have a particularly heavy draw weight, but it still took some strength to fire even a beginner's bow, and even that would have been painful for someone with a broken limb. Aela replaced the make-shift splint on the archer's arm and wrapped it in a fresh bandage.

" You didn't have to do that you know." Aela said in a soft voice as she gently placed Ashe's arm back into it's sling.

" You were in trouble, I couldn't just sit there." Ashe replied as she sat down next to the fire and allowed herself to relax a bit. There was no way she was going to get back to sleep after having been woken up like that. She was well rested from her short time in Jorrvaskr and the few hours of sleep she had gotten now was enough to get her through a full day.

" I could have handled it." Aela said in a reassuring tone.

" I believe you, but I refuse to sit idly by while someone is being attacked. It simply is not in my nature."

Ashe took the offered piece of bread and munched on it quietly as their conversation died down to a comfortable silence. But all the while the queen could feel the huntress' silver eyes on her. When she managed to catch the woman's gaze she could see that Aela was studying her and...something else that bordered on admiration. But Ashe put it out of her mind and decided to ignore it for now.

"Perhaps, if you're willing, we could get moving early." Ashe suggested while looking up between the branches of trees to see the silvery light of early morning begin to make the stars above fade away.

Aela looked up as well in thought and then nodded after a second. " I suppose we could. I got enough rest, also if we leave now then we stand a good chance of making it to Riverwood by mid day. Provided we don't run into any more trouble."

With this, the two women stood from the camp fire and set about the task of packing everything and killing the fire. Aela attempted several times to help Ashe with a few things, but every time she refused. Until it came to the task of saddling Tollo. It was only then that the queen reluctantly allowed the huntress to help her.

Once Ashe was mounted and ready to go, the huntress once again led the way down the mountain trail. It was eerily quiet that morning, save for the sounds of winter birds as the sun steadily made its way into the sky. They traveled in silence for a few hours, until the sun was slightly higher in the sky. Despite it being clearly visible none of its warmth reached them in this cold mountain climate and Ashe found herself huddling against Tollo's neck for warmth. But as they traveled the trees grew thicker and the sounds of the birds died down until Ashe was beginning to be unnerved by the quiet around her. Leaving only the sounds of slight breeze that played with the tree branches and the gentle clip clop of Tollo's hooves. So to pass the time, and break the ice, Ashe sat up in the saddle and took in a deep breath of the fresh and crisp mountain air. Then she began to sing softly.

_High is the moon tonight_

_Hiding its guiding light_

_Heaven and earth do sleep_

_Still in the dark so deep_

_I will the darkness sweep_

_I will the moon to flight_

_I will the heavens bright_

_I will the earth delight_

_Open your eyes with me_

_See paradise with me_

_Awake and arise with me_

_I am the dawn, I'm the new day begun_

_I bring you the morning, I bring you the sun_

_I hold back the night and I open the skies_

_I give light to the world, I give sight to your eyes_

_From the first of all time, until time is undone_

_Forever and ever and ever and ever_

_And I am the dawn and the sky and the sun_

_I am one with the One, and I am the dawn_

_I am the sky and the dawn and the sun_

_I am the sky and the new day begun_

_I am the sky and the dawn and the sun_

When her song finally came to an end the silence returned, but it didn't last long.

" That was beautiful. I didn't know you could sing." Aela commented from the ground as she glanced over her shoulder at the archer.

Ashe blushed at the compliment, and was thankful the Aela turned her gaze back to the trail so that she didn't see it. "Thank you, my mother taught me how to sing, and all the songs that I know."

" Do you know a lot of others?"

" Oh yes, if there is one thing I love as much as my people it is music. Singing it, playing it, sometimes even writing it when the mood strikes me."

" That is quite a talent, I would love to hear a song that you wrote if you would be willing to sing it." Aela replied as she gently took ahold of Tollo's reigns and guided him over a series of fallen logs as they began to descend down a steep and narrow trail.

"Perhaps I could...but I would be much more interested in the songs of your people. You can learn a lot about a new culture through their music."

Aela laughed softly. " Well I am not much of a singer. But Nords do have a fondness for a good cadence. Especially us from the Companions."

"Oh well please sing me one."

Aela thought for a moment then sighed. " Alright, but don't blame me if your ears bleed."

_Drinking mead in the halls of Whiterun_

_The maidens and the men!_

_We swig our brew _

_Until we spew _

_Then we fill our mugs again!_

_You can keep your filthy Skooma_

_It makes our bellies bleed_

_Cause when we raise our flagon_

_To another dead dragon_

_There is just one drink we need..._

_NORD MEAD!_

Ashe nearly fell out of the saddle from her laughter but she managed to recover herself and her composure before this happened. Once she could speak again she looked down at Aela who had a proud grin upon her face. " That was a wonderful song Aela, thank you for singing it for me. I think you are a wonderful singer."

" Well thank you, but I'm sure the rest of my Shield Brothers and Sisters would disagree with you."

For the next few hours they traveled at a steady pace, chanting the song over and over until they finally reached the bottom of the mountain range and began to descend down the foothills and a small town came into view nestled between the river and the tall jagged peaks. Tollo perked up at the sight, as well as his owner. Ashe guessed that the town was Riverwood, their destination, to confirm this, she asked Aela.

" Yes, that's Riverwood alright, looks like we made it in one piece. Only about an hours walk or so before we arrive."

Ashe only nodded quietly and then was pulled back into her own thoughts until they reached the stone bridge that crossed the small river and she pulled Tollo to a halt, gaining Aela's attention. "What is it Ashe?" The Huntress questioned with a confused look up at her.

Ashe paused for a moment and thought over her words one last time. "Aela, I am not entirely sure what is going to happen after I speak with Delphine, but I would like to ask something of you."

"I'm listening." Aela raised an eyebrow.

"Will you stay with me and journey on after I speak with this woman? I quite enjoy your company, and you are a fine warrior. I would feel much safer with you by my side. I don't know what will happen next or where we'll end up. I know that you have done so much for me already and I can never repay you for it and that I should not ask any more of you... but please, stay with me." Ashe proposed the idea and then waited with crossed fingers and a held breath.

Aela smiled reassuringly at her. "I would be honored to continue on with you Ashe, and I already told you, I do not expect any sort of payment. I never shy away from an adventure, so I'll stay by your side and together we'll figure out what is going on with these dragon attacks and get you back home to your people."

"Thank you Aela. But...what about the Companions? Aren't you needed there? "

"I am sure they can handle things without me for a while, Kodlak knows that I am gone, and if they need me they will find a way to get a message to me."

"Alright..." Ashe said, not wanting to push anything, if Aela was ok with it, then she would not object. "Then shall we go and meet with Delphine first? Or the grey-beards?"

Aela turned her gaze to the spiraling mountain peak that loomed over Riverwood, then back at the town itself. "I think that we should speak with Delphine first, we could use the rest before tackling the mountain. It will take us most of the day and probably into the evening to reach the top, and that place is just teeming with wildlife and monsters. We will need all of our strength to reach High Hrothgar."

Ashe nodded and nudged Tollo onward. "Lets go and speak with Delphine then." She said this in a decisive tone. The idea of fresh food and sitting on something other than her saddle was a welcome one.

Aela led them across the bridge and into town. The village was just as small as it had looked from a distance, with only one central road bisecting the two halves of it. It seemed to sport all the essential places, an inn, a few houses scattered here and there, along with a blacksmith and general merchant. A few guards roamed the streets and greeted Ashe and Aela pleasantly. Children ran to and fro through the streets while chickens pecked the ground.

Most of the citizens payed them no mind and others waved or greeted them just as the guards had. It took only a minute or two for them to finally come to the inn where Ashe was to seek Delphine.

"I believe this is the place." Aela said as she helped Ashe down from Tollo's back. Once her legs had adjusted to walking again, Ashe led Tollo over to a fence post and then glared at it in frustration at the realization that she couldn't tie him to it because of her arm. With an amused smirk Aela watched her, and let her try it a few times on her own before she came over and gently took the reigns from the archer and tied them in a secure knot around the post.

" Thank you..." Ashe said softly. She was quickly growing ill of having to depend on another for everything. Silently she cursed herself for being so clumsy. But if she hadn't been clumsy, she never would have found Aela, and as a result would be alone on this quest, so she reconsidered the curse and focused on the positive of the situation. Gloomy thoughts wouldn't help her through this.

Aela led the way into the inn where they were greeted with the smell of food and mead, as well as a bard sitting on a stool in the corner singing merrily and plucking away at a strange stringed instrument. It was warm and cosy inside the place, and the walls were decorated with a few deer heads and other trophies, as well as a few tapestries scattered along the walls. A bar sat at the end of the long hall in the center of which sat a large roaring hearth similar to the one in Jorrvaskr.

" Welcome m'lady, how can I help you?" A well-groomed man who was clearly of humble origins greeted them. His clothing was of fair quality, but nothing grand.

Ashe approached the bar and spoke so that none of the other patrons were likely to eavesdrop. "I was told that I could find a woman named Delphine here. Is this true?"

" Why yes, she works here." The man said in a booming voice with a friendly grin before he shouted across the inn. " Delphine! Got a visitor 'ere for ya!"

A tall and well-built woman appeared from one of the side rooms. Her clothing was of a typical bar maid. It consisted of a simple stitched cloth frock with a leather bustier. A long braid of straw blonde hair fell down her back, accented by only a few streaks of grey. It was clear that the woman was fairly aged, but her physique was still very fit with slightly tanned skin that came with time spent in the wilderness. It held a slight tan to it that showed the signs of an adventurer or soldier type. Ashe recognized her as the same woman she had met on the battlefield.

"Ah, I have expected you. Please, follow me, I have a room already prepared for you." She said this in a low voice that made Ashe cast a glance over at Aela who seemed a bit suspicious of the woman as well.

They followed Delphine into a small side room where she requested that the door be closed behind them. Ashe turned and looked to Aela once more who closed the door, but left it open just a crack. By her body language, Ashe could tell that the huntress did not entirely trust this woman, and was making sure that they had an escape route if need be.

Delphine approached a large wardrobe and then turned around and leveled her gaze on Aela. "If you wouldn't mind, I would like this to be a completely private discussion." Nothing in her tone appeared hostile, only cautious.

"She is my traveling partner and she is trustworthy. Either you say what you have to say in front of her or you don't say it at all." Ashe's voice held a hint of warning, but she kept her appearance regal and diplomatic.

Delphine's eyes flickered with annoyance, but she did not push the issue. Instead she turned and tapped on the wardrobe behind her which then swiftly moved to the side, revealing a hidden door. The woman slid it open and led them down a narrow flight of stairs into a secret basement.

Once inside the room Delphine made her way around a central table, upon which sat several books and a map. Around the room were a few weapon racks, chests and a shelf holding several different things. There were bottles, books, and other assorted plants. To Ashe's right was a strange-looking table with a set of alchemy equipment. This was enough to make the archer even more wary of the situation and she instinctively stepped closer to Aela who nonchalantly had her hand on the hilt of her weapon.

The woman leaned over the table and studied Ashe who waited patiently for the woman to speak. "So you're the Dragonborn I've heard so much about."

"That's what everyone keeps calling me, what exactly does it mean?"

"Ah, so you haven't gone to speak with the Grey-Beards yet. "

"No we haven't." Ashe replied. "We decided to come and see you first in the hopes that you might be able to tell us more about what exactly is going on here."

" Well it is both a complicated thing and a very simple thing at the same time. Supposedly, the Dragonborn is the only one who has the ability to kill a dragon permanently by absorbing its soul."

"So is that what happened to me before?"

"I do not know, I was only there for the end of that battle."

"I absorbed some sort of power from the dragon after we slayed it, and then the guards addressed me as this "Dragonborn" that I keep hearing about. The Jarl also asked me to prove it."

"And did you?"

"Yes." Ashe was growing impatient already and let it show on her features.

"How?"

"I was able to use some form of...power, they called it a Shout."

"Really?" Delphine's eyes opened wide at this. "Then perhaps you really are Dragonborn. However I can not tell you much now, you would be better off going to speak with the Grey-beards to learn more about the _Way of the Voice_."

"Then I should be talking to them?"

"Unfortunately yes. Right now I would suggest going to them. Please return here once you have spoken with them and perhaps I may be of more help to you."

"Well, we planned on staying the night here. We are both in need of rest."

"I don't doubt that, but before you go, I have a gift for you." With this Delphine turned to the large shelf behind her and looked over it before carefully plucking a small bottle from it that was filled with a sparkling red liquid. "This should heal that arm of yours." She said as she handed the bottle to Ashe who looked it over suspiciously.

Without hesitation Aela approached and held out her hand to the archer who looked at her with a raised eyebrow but handed over the bottle anyway. With a sideways glance at Delphine the huntress uncorked the bottle and sniffed it a few times. Once she seemed satisfied she handed it back to the Ashe. "It is safe."

Ashe took a moment to smell it herself. She wouldn't have recognized the smell of any poisonous herbs of this world on her own, so she was grateful to have someone like Aela whose judgment she could trust with these kinds of things.

Cautiously she took a sip of the odd potion, and instantly felt some of the pain in her arm begin to fade away. After a short breath, she downed the rest of the sweet red liquid and a tingling sensation spread throughout her body. Any soars and wounds she had sustained since arriving in this world were healed, and she was thankful to finally pull her arm out of its sling. After flexing her fingers and arm muscles, finding that they were in perfect condition once again, perhaps better than before she had broken it, she looked to Delphine with a friendly smile. "Thank you Delphine. I don't know how I can repay you for this."

"No need, I want to help you. Especially if you really are Dragonborn, you may be our only chance at defeating these pesky dragons. "

Ashe and Delphine exchanged an understanding nod before the archer excused herself.

"Good luck on your journey up the steps, it can be a dangerous one."

"We will return Delphine, you can count on it." Ashe said with a confidant smile that belied the fear that still swirled around her heart and mind that she had cleverly kept hidden from Aela and this woman. But she pushed it out of her mind as she had done for the past two days as she followed her travelling partner back up the steps and into the inn. It was bustling with life now since the afternoon had arrived and many travelers and locals had apparently come to enjoy their meal here.

They found a quiet table off in the corner after ordering their meals. Once again Aela payed the fee for their room and food. Ashe made a mental note to give her any form of currency that they might aquire on their journey to repay her, no matter how much the woman might refuse it. Once they sat down and awaited their meal, the silence between them grew heavy and awkward. Aela looked away, watching the bard in corner who sang several merry tunes to the patrons who payed him.

The barkeep brought them their food and two mugs filled with what appeared to be some form of mead. "The drink is on the house at the request of Delphine."

"Thank you very much."

"Well I'll drink to that." Aela said before she raised her mug and then downed a big swig of it.

"So this is that Nord Mead you sang about?" Ashe asked curiously as she eyed the liquid.

"Yes, best drink you'll ever taste."

Ashe took a small drink of it. It was good mead indeed, but she reminded herself that this was no time to be intoxicated so she set in back on the table and continued to eat her meal in silence. All the while, Aela's eyes remained on her as the archer's mind wandered over memories of her people, and she distantly wondered if she would ever see them again. At least twenty minutes passed by before the archer finally looked up to see the look of concern on her new friend's features.

" Is everything alright?" Aela asked in a quiet tone as she continued to sip her mead.

"I was just thinking, and wondering where all of this will lead."

"Are you thinking of home?"

"Of course...but for now going home isn't an immediate possibility, so I have tried to put those thoughts out of my mind."

Aela smiled tenderly, and her eyes softened for a moment. "Don't worry, we'll get you home somehow. I'm sure we'll find someone here in Skyrim who knows enough about magic to have some idea of how to send you back."

"I hope so..." Ashe muttered softly as she picked at her food.

A thoughtful look came over Aela before it brightened up into a smile once again. "Hey, how about we go for a short walk? It might be small but the sights are beautiful, and I'm sure some of the shops in town might have food for your horse."

"Great idea!" Ashe perked up at this idea and stood from the table as the barkeeper approached to take their dishes.

Once outside the tavern Ashe took a moment to check on Tollo before following Aela down the central street that led from one end of the small town to the other. A few homes sat on either side of the road along with one general shop. It was here that Aela stopped suddenly and her eyes turned to the sky.

"What's wrong?" Ashe asked as she scanned the sky above as well. It was then that a loud bellowing roar echoed through the mountains and shook the very trees along the street.

This roar was closely followed by a second screeching roar and a stream of fire setting the street and a few buildings ablaze as a dragon flew over head. All of the citizens immediately ran to their houses, shrieking or screaming in terror as the beast circled back and breathed again, setting fire to the straw rooftops of a few houses that sat on the edge of town. This effectively created two walls of fire on either side of them now as the fire began to spread with the abundance of fuel for it to consume.

"I'll try to draw it in. You just keep firing." Aela said as she ran out into the center of the street with her sword and shield drawn. "Hey! Short tail!" She shouted at the beast, hoping that her voice would carry over the cacophony of the chaos in the streets around them. This seemed to get its attention; the dragon instantly turned its gaze on the huntress and swooped down at her.

With another screeching roar it loosed a stream of fire from its maw that narrowly missed Aela who managed to tumble out of its path. Ashe however took her opportunity from her spot next to a large boulder and fired a full volley of arrows at the dragon as it began to ascend into the sky. Each arrow sank in between the thick scales of the beast and the freezing cold magic of the projectiles was visibly weakening the creature as it began to struggle with flapping it's wings and staying airborne.

It's eyes searched the ground as it circled the city, easily avoiding the poorly fired arrows from the few town guards who hadn't soiled themselves and ran back to their homes. Ashe stayed hidden behind the rock and kept her own keen eye on it while she knocked another arrow, waiting for her prime opportunity. But this dragon wasn't willing to just hand it to her, it was obvious that it was planning to make her work for this kill. Aela kept attempting to draw its attention, but the beast knew better than to fall for the trap again.

With a glance to each other, they both knew what had to be done. Ashe returned her arrow to its quiver and made sure to wait in the shadow of the bolder until the dragon had moved to the far side of town before she scurried over to Tollo who stood calmly where Ashe had left him.

Swiftly she climbed up into the saddle just as the dragon appeared in her line of sight again. This time, it spotted her long enough to halt its flight and breath a concentrated ball of fire at them. It landed just behind Tollo as he bolted forward, his tail barely avoiding being singed by the flames that instantly consumed the grass and tree branches and began to lick up the sides of the tavern. It grew into a raging inferno and consumed everything around them, leaving Ashe and Tollo with no way to go except into the dragon's path.

Ashe kicked Tollo into a full gallop out into the street and barely avoided colliding with the hoard of civilians who rushed out of the tavern. Her mind raced as they barreled down the street, heading straight for the wall of fire that cut off their path out-of-town. Tollo skidded to a halt as his rider hauled back on the reigns, and they turned to face the dragon who had perched on top of one of the only buildings that hadn't been lit on fire yet.

The archer locked eyes with the dragon. It knew that she had fallen for the trap and almost appeared to be mocking her as it stretched out its wings and roared at her, daring her to accept it's challenge. Ashe's eyes narrowed in concentration as she knocked an arrow and took in a deep breath before kicking Tollo forward.

With a loud whinny Tollo reared up and launched himself into a full gallop and fearlessly charged at the beast who took off from its perch. Ashe drew her bow with all her strength and locked eyes once more with the dragon as it stretched it's jaw open and filled its lungs while soaring through the air. Its shadow passed over the group of cowering citizens as it flew in to battle against the one person who stood a chance at stopping it.

Time slowed around Ashe, her heart beat like a war drum in her ears as she drew in a heavy breath of her own. As she released her breath, she loosed her arrow along with it. It whistled through the air and struck its target, the soft spot in the dragon's neck; this choked off the dragon's attempt at a fireball and allowed Ashe to let another carefully aimed arrow fly. This one found its mark, the joint were the wing of the beast met the mass of its body.

Screeching and thrashing about in the air halted the dragon's flight but it still flapped its wings in a desperate attempt to stay in the air. This was futile and only served to steer the creature toward the ground just as Ashe rode beneath it. To avoid the crashing dragon, Ashe leaned forward to cling on to Tollo's neck, but instead was broadsided by the dragon's tail; the impact crushed her ribs and knocked the wind from her lungs, the force lifted her out of the saddle and into the air. With a loud thud she landed in the dirt of the street. The ground beneath her shook as the dragon crashed nearly head first into the side of a small house, demolishing half of the building under its weight. Violently the beast thrashed around, trying to gain any sort of purchase. Its tail swept across the road and knocked a man through the door of his own house.

With a groan from the pain in her side Ashe rolled over and was beginning the process of getting to her feet when the shadow of the dragon suddenly blocked out the sun and she peered up to see the giant reptile looming over her. Once again, everything slowed to a crawl for Ashe as she watched the dragon snarl and its jaw open wide. Everything inside her screamed to move as she watched the fiery orange light grow stronger with each passing second; but her legs just wouldn't respond. This was it...this must be her fate...

Ashe closed her eyes, waiting for the rush of fire and the pain of death. But instead she was suddenly enveloped in something warm; not burning like fire, but strong, like a pair of arms. Her eyes shot open to see that it was Aela who had grabbed her, and she now sat wrapped up in her arms behind a water trough as the dragon spat flames down the length of the street.

Still in shock, Ashe stared up at Aela who seemed to be in the same state. "Aela...thank you..." Ashe stammered between short breaths; still not entirely sure if she had actually lived, or if she was dead and just being shown a vision by the gods of what might have been.

"Any time." Aela replied as she stared back at her. Their eyes stayed locked for a moment before they were both pulled back to reality by the mighty roar of the dragon.

Three town guards ran up and began frantically swinging at the creature. Although it was injured, it had no trouble fending off the offending blades that either missed horribly or simply bounced off its plate-like hide. One unfortunate guard side-stepped to avoid being chomped in half by the dragon, placing himself in the perfect position to be batted away by one of its giant wings. He was flung across the street and through a window of one poor citizen's house.

Another unlucky soldier was grabbed in the crushing jaws of the dragon and then flung off in some unknown direction; leaving only a single guard who fought valiantly to hold his own against the mighty beast. Aela and Ashe glanced at each other as they crouched behind the trough.

"Are you ready for this?" Aela asked quickly.

Ashe nodded with a determined look in her eyes.

"Alright..." Aela focused on the dragon, her expression hardened without a single trace of fear apparent on her painted face "Let's show this lizard who's boss."

Aela shouted a mighty war cry as she sprang over the trough with Ashe hot on her heels and charged at the beast. "Skyrim belongs to the Nords!" She hollered as she slashed, connecting a heavy blow with the dragon's snout, blood poured from the wound as she ripped the blade from its flesh and landed another directly across its eye.

The dragon loosed a terrifying roar as blood seeped from its wounds, letting out another series of ear splitting screeches as Ashe loosed a full volley of arrows that struck true to their targets. One to its good eye, and the others pierced through its hide all along it's back. This volley was followed by one last arrow that struck between the thick scales on its chest and into it's heart, swiftly ending the beast's life.

The dragon sank to the ground and just as before, its scales and flesh melted as the flames from its lungs consumed its body until all that remained was a skeletal corpse. Ashe watched closely as the same streams of light washed over her, and the powerful magic tingled across her skin and felt like it melted through her skin to merge with her soul. It made her head swim and she her limbs felt weak as she collapsed to the ground with a heavy breath, mentally and physically exhausted.

Ashe held her head in her hand as it continued to swim from the odd rush of power, and her body screamed from the stress of the battle. There was a throbbing pain in her legs and head, and her right side was covered in small cuts and scrapes and burned when she moved. Weakly she looked up at Aela who knelt by her side now with a concerned look.

"Ashe are you hurt?"

"I...I'm fine..." Her voice was weak, and she couldn't help but lean in to Aela's arms but she immediately regretted this when the material of the huntress' armor rubbed against the tender skin on her arm. With a sharp hiss of pain she tried to hold herself up and managed to with Aela's help.

"You are not fine. Come on, let's get you some place safe." Aela said in a soft yet still stern tone. Carefully, she guided the archer to her feet. Her legs were weak and burned with every step. It was clear that her battle with the dragon had taken more of a toll on her body than she had originally realized, but at least she was alive.

Aela led her back inside the tavern which had been spared from any real damage thanks to the towns people and their quick response to the inferno. The wood of the building where the fire had struck was now charred and smoldering, but the building appeared to still be in good shape. This was more than could be said for the house that the dragon had demolished, and one other that had completely lost it's roof but otherwise was still standing.

They reached the steps to the tavern and were stopped by a group of guards and town's people.

One man stepped forward, he was an older man, and judging by his clothing, a humble farmer. "You...I don't know who you are...but thank you for killing that thing."

"You're welcome." Was all Ashe said. She wasn't exactly in the mood to stand around.

"If there is anything you need, we here in Riverwood will be happy to help in any way we can." A woman said as she bowed deeply to the archer.

Ashe thought for a moment and then looked around frantically. "Tollo!"

The people around her looked utterly confused until Ashe brought two fingers to her lips and whistled loudly. A few moments later, Tollo trotted up to them from behind the tavern, unharmed from the battle. Obediently he walked to his owner who took his reigns and handed them to the farm woman.

"If you could do me a favor and stable my horse I would be thankful." Ashe said with a polite smile.

"Absolutely." The woman said with a smile as she took Tollo's reigns. "Our farm is just at the edge of town, by the big saw mill. You can't miss it. When you need him just come by and ask for Miera."

"Thank you Miera, and you may call me Ashe."

One guard stepped up. " On behalf of the Jarl and the people of Riverwood, I thank you miss Ashe. Our town would be lost if it were not for you."

"You're welcome," Ashe looked among the crowd. " all of you. Now please, I must have my rest, I wish you all the best of luck with repairing your town."

With this Ashe and Aela made their way inside the tavern where they spent the evening feasting on a large meal that was completely free, and all the mead they could drink. By the time the two women made it to their room, they were even more exhausted than before and Ashe would have collapsed into her bed if it weren't for Aela's quick reflexes that caught her and helped her lay down gently.

The Freljord queen used the last of her strength to pull off her boots, cowl and gloves, as well as set her bow and quiver next to her bed. Once she was completely settled under her blanket she allowed herself to look over at Aela who was taking her time in removing the steel paladrons from her shoulders, and removing her own weapons, gauntlets and boots. Her eyes wandered over the slender yet still toned form of the huntress as she moved. It wasn't until Aela turned to look at her that she realized that she was staring.

_What is wrong with you? Stop that... _Ashe scolded herself while forcing her eyes to look up and into the silver pools that stared back at her. This however was just as dangerous as if they continued to roam. With nothing else to distract her, she let herself get lost in them. In the darkness they seemed to glow with an intense look that Ashe still couldn't put her finger on. They appeared wild, almost feral in nature, and this intensified with each moment that she spent staring into them, until she realized that Aela was directly in front of her.

Silently Ashe drew in a startled breath; she hadn't even noticed the woman cross the room.

"Is something wrong?" Aela asked in a quiet voice as she knelt next to the bed, crouching almost like a wolf that was eyeing its prey. Yet her features were soft and looked somewhat curious.

Ashe stalled, not knowing what to say until she finally blurted something out that thankfully sounded completely normal. "Thank you for saving me today."

A soft chuckle answered her. "You're welcome. I wasn't sure if you had been injured, so I ran in to help. It was a close call though, I think that dragon might have singed the hairs on my neck." Aela said with a smile.

"Yeah...it was." Ashe trailed off quietly as she fiddled with the edges of her blanket while Aela stood up.

"Ashe, next time, try to tell me before just charge in like you did on Tollo. I'd hate to think of what would happen if that plan of yours had gone completely wrong." She said in a more serious tone.

Ashe nodded with a slight smile. "I'll try and be more careful."

Aela nodded and smiled back before returning to her own bed and making herself comfortable under her own blankets.

The rest of the night passed quietly. It took Ashe what felt like hours to get to sleep. Between trying to force herself to not stare at the other woman, fighting off thoughts of home or hopelessness, and tossing around on the mattress in attempts to find a comfortable way to sleep, it was all anything but restful. But finally she had found a spot where she felt no pain, and was conveniently facing the wall, and this was enough to let her drift off into a dreamless sleep.

With the morning came a chilly rain when Ashe and Aela walked out of the tavern after their breakfast. Ashe pulled up the hood of her cowl while Aela slung a heavy cloak over herself. Silently they made their way through the darkness of the early morn to the stable that sat outside of town. Here they retrieved Tollo and after packing their provisions for the trip up the mountain set out with Ashe mounted on her steed and the huntress in the lead once again.

The silence between them was a comfortable one, at least it seemed that way. Ashe's mind jumped between their interactions from the previous day and evening. During their morning packing Aela had seemed...distant. That was honestly the best word that the archer could come up with for it. She was not hostile or awkward about anything, but she seemed unsure of Ashe now.

She wasn't sure if the huntress had been aware of her staring the night before, it had been dark in the room and the archer was unsure of how keen her eye sight was in the darkness. Either way, the air between them had changed, if it was for the better or worse, she couldn't tell.

For now she put these thoughts from her mind as she turned her gaze to the mountain top and then to the narrow winding trail that nature had carved into the side of the jagged and rocky terrain. They came to the first steep hill, and it was here that Aela stopped and looked up at her. The look in her eyes was confusing to the archer, they seemed calm and soft, but deep inside them she could see a fire and determination, along with a strength that she simply could not help but admire.

"Are you sure about this Ashe? I will warn you, the mountains of Skyrim are home to many deadly creatures." She asked in a serious tone, that told Ashe that even she was nervous about this trek.

"Yes. I am. If I ever want to get home, these Grey-beards will offer at least some information to serve as a stepping stone. I have no other choice but to go forward." Ashe said in a confidant voice that belied her inward fear of the unknown.

Aela smirked, as though she was amused by Ashe's courage. "Then we will press on. If we keep up a good pace, we should be able to reach High Hrothgar by noon-day."

Ashe nodded as she pulled her cowl down lower to shield her face from the icy raindrops and nudged Tollo forward; the three of them began their journey to the Throat of the World, and whatever fate awaited them there..

* * *

_**Thanks everyone for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. The next one should come along much faster than this one did. In case you are wondering, the songs that Ashe and Aela sing on their journey are:**_

_**The Sun The Sky and the Dawn - Celtic Woman**_

_**Nord Mead! - This is a fan song that was created by miracleofsound, it can be found by either searching youtube, or you can find a link to it on my Daughter of the Frost Dragon thread on the league forums.**_

_**Thanks again to everyone! Please remember to review if you enjoyed it and keep an eye out for future installments! :)**_


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